Codex Standard for Aqueous Coconut Products

7/25/2019 Codex Standard for Aqueous Coconut Products

1/4

CODEX STAN 240-2003 Page 1 of 4

CODEX STANDARD FOR AQUEOUS COCONUT PRODUCTS

Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream -

(CODEX STAN 240-2003)

1 SCOPE

This Standard applies to packaged aqueous coconut milk and coconut cream products, as defined in

Section 2 below, and offered for direct consumption, including for catering purposes or for repacking if

required. It does not apply to the product when indicated as being intended for further processing or to

sweetened and/or flavoured coconut milk or cream.

2 DESCRIPTION

2.1 PRODUCT DEFINITION

Coconut milk and coconut cream are the products:

(a)

prepared by:

(i)

using a significant amount of separated, whole, disintegrated, macerated or comminuted

fresh endosperm (kernel) of coconut palm (Cocos nuciferaL.) and expelled, where most

filterable fibres and residues are excluded, with or without coconut water, and/or with

additional water; or

(ii) reconstituting coconut cream powder with potable water; or

(iii)

dispersing finely comminuted dehydrated coconut endosperm with potable water; or

(iv) combining (i) and (iii) above.

(b) processed by heat, in an appropriate manner, before or after being hermetically sealed in a

container, so as to prevent spoilage.

2.2 STYLES

2.2.1 Light Coconut Milk

Light coconut milk shall be the product obtained from either the bottom portion of centrifuged coconut

milk or by further dilution of coconut milk and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.

2.2.2 Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the dilute emulsion of comminuted coconut endosperm (kernel) in water with the

soluble and the suspended solids distributed and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this

Standard.

2.2.3 Coconut Cream

Coconut cream is the emulsion extracted from matured endosperm (kernel) of the coconut fruit with or

without any addition of coconut water/water and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this

Standard.

2.2.4 Coconut Cream Concentrate

Coconut cream concentrate is the product obtained after the partial removal of water from coconut

cream and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.


2/4


3 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS

3.1 COMPOSITION

3.1.1 Basic Ingredients

(a)

Coconut cream powder;(b)

Endosperm (kernel) of coconut palm (Cocos nuciferaL.);

(c) Water.

3.1.2 Other Permitted Ingredients

(a) Coconut water;

(b) Maltodextrin;

(c)

Sodium caseinate.

3.1.3 Other Composition

Total Solids

(% m/m)

Non-fat Solids

(% m/m)

Fat

(% m/m)

Moisture

(% m/m)pH

Product

Min. max. min. min. max. min.

(a)

Light Coconut Milk 6.6 - 12.6 1.6 5.0 93.4 5.9

(b) Coconut Milk 12.7 - 25.3 2.7 10.0 87.3 5.9

(c) Coconut Cream 25.4 - 37.3 5.4 20.0 74.6 5.9

(d) Coconut Cream

Concentrate

37.4 min. 8.4 29.0 62.6 5.9

3.2 QUALITY CRITERIA

Coconut milk and coconut cream shall have normal colour, flavour and odour characteristic of the

products.

3.3 CLASSIFICATION OF DEFECTIVES

A container that fails to meet one or more of the applicable quality requirements, as set out in Sections

3.1.3 and 3.2 should be considered as a defective.

3.4 LOT ACCEPTANCE

A lot should be considered as meeting the applicable quality requirements referred to in Sections 3.1.3and 3.2 when the number of defectives, as defined in Section 3.3, does not exceed the acceptance number

(c) of an appropriate sampling plan with an AQL of 6.5.

4 FOOD ADDITIVES

4.1 BLEACHING AGENTS

INS No. Name of the Food Additive Maximum Level

223 Sodium metabisulphite

224 Potassium metabisulphite30 mg/kg


3/4


4.2 EMULSIFIERS


432 Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan

monolaurate

433 Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate


monopalmitate


monostearate

436 Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan tristearate

1000 mg/kg

471 Mono- and diglycerides Limited by GMP

473 Sucrose esters of fatty acid 1500 mg/kg

4.3 PRESERVATIVES


211 Sodium benzoate 1000 mg/kg

only for pasteurized coconut milk

4.4 STABILIZERS/THICKENERS


412 Guar gum

415 Xanthan gum

418 Gellan gum

466 Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose

Limited by GMP

5 CONTAMINANTS

5.1 HEAVY METALS

The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall comply with those maximum levels for

heavy metals established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for these products.

5.2 PESTICIDE RESIDUES

The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall comply with those maximum pesticideresidue limits established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission for these products.

6 HYGIENE

6.1 It is recommended that the products covered by the provisions of this Standard be prepared and

handled in accordance with the appropriate sections of the Recommended International Code of Practice

General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969), Recommended International Code of Hygienic

Practice for Aseptically Processed and Packaged Low-Acid Foods (CAC/RCP 40-1993), Recommended

International Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Acid and Acidified Low-Acid Canned Foods (CAC/RCP

23-1979) and other relevant Codex texts such as codes of hygienic practice and codes of practice.

6.2 The products should comply with any microbiological criteria established in accordance with the

Principles for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997).


4/4


7 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

7.1 FILL OF CONTAINER

7.1.1 Minimum Fill

7.1.1.1 The hermetically sealed container should be well filled with the product, and it should occupy notless than 90% v/v of the water capacity of the container. The water capacity of the container is the volume

of distilled water at 20oC which the sealed container will hold when completely filled.

7.1.1.2 Flexible containers should be filled as full as commercially practicable.

7.1.2 Classification of Defectives

A container that fails to meet the requirement for minimum fill as described in Section 7.1.1 should be

considered as a defective.

7.1.3 Lot Acceptance

A lot should be considered as meeting the requirement of Section 7.1.1 when the number of

defectives, as defined in Section 7.1.2, does not exceed the acceptance number (c) of an appropriatesampling plan with an AQL of 6.5.

8 LABELLING

The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall be labelled in accordance with the

Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985). In addition, the

following specific provisions apply:

8.1 NAME OF THE PRODUCT

8.1.1 The name of the product shall be:

(a)

Light coconut milk

(b)

Coconut milk

(c)

Coconut cream

(d)

Coconut cream concentrate

according to the product definitions and

composition in Sections 2 and 3

8.1.2 Coconut milk and coconut cream prepared by reconstituting coconut cream powder or the finely

comminuted dehydrated coconut endosperm shall be labelled to indicate that these are reconstituted

products.

8.1.3 An appropriate description of the heat treatment should be given, either as part of the name or in a

prominent position in the same field of vision.

9 METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING

See relevant Codex texts on methods of analysis and sampling.

Documents

Codex Standard for Aqueous Coconut Products